Thanks to its compact design, the Yamaha APX 700 II-12 BL offers easy handling and extremely accommodating playability. In addition, the electro-acoustic acoustic guitar produces an amazingly loud sound, which can also be amplified with the help of the in-house pickup system. The body is equipped with a generous cutaway so that even the highest of the 22 frets can be reached without any problems. At the same time, the compensated saddle and the finely notched nut ensure clean intonation over the entire 634 mm scale. Smooth tuners are inserted into the headstock, allowing precise tuning of the 12 steel strings. Visually, the instrument is undoubtedly rounded off by the noble black high-gloss finish.
Since the body features a solid spruce top, the guitar produces a very bright and defined sound with strongly pronounced midrange and treble frequencies. Meanwhile, laminated nato wood back and sides enrich the tone with warm bass frequencies, making the instrument suitable for both expressive
The saddle and 46 mm nut made of urea guarantee clean sound development in all frets. Chrome-plated die-cast tuners also allow for easy tuning of the instrument. Between the tuners, there is a generous inlay that contrasts the black finish in a very pleasant way. The fretboard is bordered by a cream-coloured binding and features discreet dot inlays for orientation. The oval soundhole features a wooden rosewood and mahogany rosette.
The 12 string was lighter and smaller in size than I had realised - the lockdown had not enabled me to try in a guitar shop. The neck is also very comfortable, and feels about the same size as my Gibson Les Paul's 50's neck. String spacing is also comfortable. The sound acoustically is not boomy due to the smaller body width, so it is fairly toppy without much bass but it makes a nice sound. Recording through the pickup gives a very good sound and well balanced - less toppy than the acoustic sound and I would think live and recording is where this guitar comes into it's own. It is not as rich or as warm to play acoustically like one of my six string dreadnoughts, but it makes a very nice jangly sound and is easy to play. Build quality at the moment seems good. Glad I bought it.